why can't i control my thoughts? (Full Version)

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DLindros -> why can't i control my thoughts? (5/8/2008 12:54:55 PM)

I've made the choice to follow God's path. It's helped me out so much already, but I'm having issues. I find that my mind wanders to places I don't want it to go. I catch myself having thoughts that i DO NOT want. Everything from lust to blasphemy. I start wondering about Jesus. Wondering if the whole thing was a hoax. And it troubles me because I know i need to believe with all my heart in order to be saved. and as much as i want to believe, these thoughts creep up on me out of nowhere. I was just recently married, and i know it's my responibility to be the spiritual leader of my family. I'm afraid that I will let my wife down. What can I do to control my thoughts?



LCannon -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/8/2008 2:27:24 PM)

Perhaps afraid of the unknown. Now, maybe, you have personal issues that need to be dealt with. Deal honestly with those on an ongoing basis with the help of intimates, wife, pastor, family or associates. Often we're so intent on preventing disobedience(without much repentance)we fail to reinforce our obedience setting us up for defeat and if one has a prior history of an issue; what can I say, established habits weren't established overnight, new priorities take time. Confession(to a live person and who is closer...)does two things, makes you vulnerable/accountable and if one's honest, prevents lapses into disobedience and old habits.

Try this:
1. Paul's letter to Ephesians has six chapters. Read a chapter a day aloud.(You can read the whole book in about 15 minutes so a chapter is less that five minutes.)
2. Set a time(morn, eve, noon, whenever), the same time, the same place but only commit yourself for week. Focus your imagination on obedience. Maybe you can even include her!
3. Rest a day(Sunday?) and commit yourself for another week. Start Ephesians focusing on unity aloud the next week.
4. On the third week, rest a day, commit(Ephesians again aloud ) and trying memorizing. There's no secret to memorization, it's practice and review and since you've read Ephesians aloud two time in two weeks you're ready.



mvic -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/8/2008 2:34:01 PM)

The closer we get to God the harder the devil works to lead us astray.

It is possible that the devil is tempting you away, or even confusing you with all these thoughts, so that once you give up your new found Christianity you'll be at peace.

So what do you do about it?

Pray to God, in your own words ... tell Him about these thoughts and temptations. Tell Him that you are trying to hold on to your Faith and seek His help to keep these thoughts away.

You've been brave enough to discuss this matter here. How about discussing them with someone you can really trust - a pastor, your spouse or a close friend maybe.

Read the Bible daily. Join a Bible study group. But most important: DON'T GIVE UP.



Liveloved -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/8/2008 5:08:01 PM)

quote:

I've made the choice to follow God's path. It's helped me out so much already, but I'm having issues. I find that my mind wanders to places I don't want it to go. I catch myself having thoughts that i DO NOT want. Everything from lust to blasphemy. I start wondering about Jesus. Wondering if the whole thing was a hoax. And it troubles me because I know i need to believe with all my heart in order to be saved. and as much as i want to believe, these thoughts creep up on me out of nowhere. I was just recently married, and i know it's my responibility to be the spiritual leader of my family. I'm afraid that I will let my wife down. What can I do to control my thoughts?


Your mind is the battlefield as you are finding out. And, yes, as you've already been told, satan works overtime to try and defeat us. If satan is harassing you, it is no hoax. His harrassment is confirmation that you are seeking to follow God. Bless you! II Cor 10:3-5 is a good place to begin to understand what's going on in your mind and what you must do. Strongholds and fortresses must come down and every thought must be taken captive to the obedience of Christ. It is a battle that continues. I continue to have wrong thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere and I've been walking with the Lord a LONG time. So you are not alone. Nor is what you are experiencing unusual. Just take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, exalting what He says, and believing He is VICTOR and will win this battle in you and for you as well. Blessings![:)]



Conquered -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/8/2008 5:15:11 PM)

quote:

I've made the choice to follow God's path. It's helped me out so much already, but I'm having issues. I find that my mind wanders to places I don't want it to go. I catch myself having thoughts that i DO NOT want. Everything from lust to blasphemy. I start wondering about Jesus. Wondering if the whole thing was a hoax. And it troubles me because I know i need to believe with all my heart in order to be saved. and as much as i want to believe, these thoughts creep up on me out of nowhere. I was just recently married, and i know it's my responibility to be the spiritual leader of my family. I'm afraid that I will let my wife down. What can I do to control my thoughts?


One thing I would not let slip; I took notice that now poor Christian was so confounded, that he did not know his own voice; and thus I perceived it; Just when he was come over against the mouth of the burning Pit, one of the wicked ones got behind him, and stept up softly to him, and whisperingly suggested many grievous blasphemies to him, which he verily thought had proceeded from his own mind. This put Christian more to it than anything that he met with before, even to think that he should now blaspheme him that he loved so much before; yet, if he could have helped it, he would not have done it; but he had not the discretion neither to stop his ears, nor to know from whence those blasphemies came. Christian made believe that he spake blasphemies, when it was Satan that suggested them into the mind

When Christian had travelled in this disconsolate condition some considerable time, he thought he heard the voice of a man, going before him saying, Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear none ill, for thou art with me.
Then was he glad, and that for these reasons:
First, Because he gathered from thence, that some who feared God were in this Valley as well as himself.
Secondly, For that he perceived God was with them, though in that dark and dismal state; and why not, thought he, with me? though by reason of the impediment that attends this place, I cannot perceive it.
Thirdly, For that he hoped, could he overtake them, to have company by and by. So he went on, and called to him that was before; but he knew not what to answer, for that he also thought himself to be alone. And by and by the day broke; then said Christian, He hath turned the Shadow of Death into the morning. - John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress.

It should be noted that Bunyan was tortured with blasphemous thoughts for years after being awakened to his sin.



SavedByGraceMD -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/8/2008 7:11:30 PM)

I don't think we can control our thoughts. I am having a similar problem with my thoughts and how easy it is for my mind to race off. I think the thing is what do we do with our thoughts. Paul talks about making every thought obedient to Christ. If we are to do that, how can we make a lustful thought obedient. Can we. I don't think so. But we can discard that thought in the trash where it belongs. Mail it back to sender, the old snake trying to slip us up, and replace it with a thought that will glorify the Lord. Trash the bad ones and don't dwell on them, don't let those thoughts become more than thoughts, and in turn replace it with a thought that is obedient to Christ. Trying to control our thoughts is not possible for a man to do, but when we have a sinful thought we should nail it to the cross, and let it die there, then confess it to our Lord and savior and thank Him for what he did on that cross for us.

Take care and God bless.



jmjphe -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/8/2008 7:20:14 PM)

I know EXACTLY what your talking about and i think i can shed some light on this and put it in perspectve.

Whats going on is this mental dialouge of compulsive, random, harmful thoughts. Your mind just wont shut up right? I wouldnt be suprised if you had trouble sleeping, or suffered form occasional anxiety or panic attacks, maybe you seem distant at times from others in thier eyes yet dont mean to. All your engery is focused on the contents of your brain which over time feels very fragile. One train of thought spawns millions of others throughout the course of a single day...and i literally do mean close to millions, or some ridiculous number. The thoughts get to a point where they sort of become "all thought out" meaning they mature to a point where you cant even comprehend them and they sort of go into the void making room for the next one like clock work at times. On top of that you may feel this is something you need to address and start to scrutinize your very being in different variations, and begin a process of self-pre-occupation that just recycles everything. by the way, some physcho-therapists beleive this is a core reason for bi-polar disorder as opposed to it being purely inherited or a fully biochemical disorder.

So in a nutshell it very much seems your unknowingly drawing you very identity from the contents of your mind as opposed to you as a child of God through Jesus Christ. The above mentioned conditioned seems to becoming more and more common, I suffered from it greatly so your not alone.

I really and truely want your to understand these next 2 sentences...YOU are not your mind. YOU are a child of God through the death of Christ imbued with the holy spirit. This central core of your very being cant be comprimised, but when you begin to draw off of your brain which is just an organ, or a tool to use, it begins using you, and makes way for the devil and his forces to reak havoc in your life.

There is a common phrase that people use sometimes, in real life, or in moves etc....the phrase is some variation of "I can't live with myself any longer"...this phrase is often muttered or thought in times of deep despair, fear, anger, self doubt, etc. Really read that phrase "I can't live with myself any longer"...who is the "I" and who is "myself"? One is the mind identified person, the other is the spirutally identified person, its a matter of which is leading.

Understanding this is the start to stopping it. Dont entertain these thoughts you have, just watch them without judegment, no matter how sexually preverse, nasty, or horid they may be and they will disipate, for this is not you. 2nd Cornthians is a great book on the matter, so is ROmans chapter 8. Remember this, Christ said "Although the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak" Your mind is the flesh's control center, any thought or action or attitude centers from there. When you let God in control (meaning be silent and bathe in the Joy that is you,the child of God through Christ) you are now simply YOU.

Our minds will always get the best of us at times, but it takes practice, prayer, and a practice at putting the mind in it's place.



SoldierInGodsArmy -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/8/2008 11:49:15 PM)

You must not let your mind wonder. An effective way to keep yourself from having these blasphemous thoughts is to develop a self punishment to keep yourself in line. I'm not saying do any bodily harm to yourself, but you need a reminder to keep yourself from having these disgusting thoughts. Obediance to God is key, concentrate on that and drown out all bad influences.

Keep focus. Focus on your love and compassion for god, ALWAYS at every waking hour, minute, and second of your life.



broken2live4him -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/9/2008 6:43:32 AM)

D,

I recommend you memorize and study 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. It is a great help. Let the Lord get it from your mind to heart, and daily meditate on the Scriptures not just during your devotional time. Let your mind be renewed by the reading of the Word. All of us fight our thoughts so be comforted in knowing you are not alone. But we press on because the Lord helps us with our thought life. Take a verse from your regular daily devotion and think about that whenever you find your mind wandering where it shouldn't.

Love In Christ,



kingdust -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/9/2008 10:36:14 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: DLindros
I'm afraid that I will let my wife down. What can I do to control my thoughts?


In dreams, you can't control much, but in reality, either you can or can't.

You can't, because your thought is like an untamed wild horse, running all over.
Don't I know myself running all over even when I am sitting on pew and listening to a sermon?

However, you can after you tame your thought with a yoke of Jesus.
The yoke of Jesus can be many things.
But, the simplest one I use is this; Jesus.

What I mean by that?

I simply call the name of Jesus whenever I am tossed with thoughts that are not clean or appropriate for me to ponder.

It goes like this;

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, this thought, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, I don't want, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, please give me something clean, Jesus, Jesus.....

The point is I call His name as many times as possible and as long as possible and any time any where whenever I need His yoke to tame me according to His thoughts.
That is all.



Lapidoth -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/9/2008 4:57:09 PM)

quote:

I recommend you memorize and study 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.


This is exactly what Paul instructed us to do.

To cast down all imaginations that are contrary to the Word of God.

We have to take responsibility of our mind.
If we can't we need to "learn" how to be responsible.

You can clean a dirty glass of mud if you continually fill it with clean water.
If we fill our minds with the clean water of God's Word, it will in time flush
out the old.

Get a good translation you can understand and read, study, and meditate.



Conquered -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/9/2008 7:11:20 PM)

quote:

Get a good translation you can understand and read, study, and meditate.


Wiser words could not be spoken.

When our Lord was assaulted with temptation what did he do? He fought them with Scripture. Fight with the promises of the Risen Christ given in Scripture!



doer -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/9/2008 8:43:32 PM)

we are all creatures of habit, and that is a hard habit to break.
Gal 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
breaking the habit will take a little strategy, and some time.

being aware of it & confessing it is a big first step.

somethings that can help... when you catch yourself immediately pray, - talk to God, and hand it over.
memorize scriptures... not necessarily word for word, but as good as you can, memorize scripture, and then you can replace random thought with scriptures....
I do this when a wrong button is pushed on me and I want to get mad..... my thoughts quickly run to: "love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness longsuffering". sometimes other verses put me right back in focus. (i have memorized thousands)

listen to praise music, or some form of Christian music.... you can fill your head with "good stuff" by listening to this music, and the words to the songs will run thru your head producing good/better thoughts.

if there is a conflict of good thought/bad thought....good will ultimately win.

and maybe the best tool.....
have someone praying for you... interceding/agreeing with you in prayer.

when God's people pray, mulberry trees get uprooted and tossed in the sea. (Lk 17:6)



Itlyn1kc -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/10/2008 1:34:51 PM)

I know what you are going through too. That was my biggest weakness and satan knew it.
I would almost have like OCD about over thinking everything constantly. It would give me
such tension and headaches. I would think about situations with friends, work,money, the
guy I was dating especially. I would just obsessively think about things and the wheels would
not stop turning in my mind. I had been like this since I was in my late teens, then i almost
got used to it. Then when I went through deliverance, I couldn't believe it! All the thoughts
finally were gone, I had a clear mind and wasn't thinking about anything. It was almost scary
because that had been a part of me for so long. Well satan hated that, but I am so much stronger
now and I do not let that get the best of me anymore.
Satan puts those doubts in our head, that is satan, nothing else. The closer you get to God and you are doing what he wants you to do, you know satan will be bothering you, because he does not want to see us follow God. If you weren't then he would not be bothering you..

I am praying for you, just keep trying to focus on God, keep yourself in the bible and keep doing
it. Don't give satan any small cracks to get through, keep your mind busy with praise music, church, reading the bible....
Anytime you start to think or the thoughts come in, just say out loud, JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, I will let nothing steal my joy, satan you must leave right now in the name of JESUS CHRIST..He will leave..It has really helped me so much, and the more you do it, it really will become easier and you will get so much stronger my friend!!
I am praying for you...Have you spoken to your pastor or anyone about this??

amen!!
kc



terryjohn -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/10/2008 3:28:08 PM)

And they say men do not have any free will? The first thing we would want to accept is that God Himself can imagine what men think of, hence, the thoughts are one thing but our attitude to them are another. We also want to guard against the thinking that we beleive because we want to beleive. That is, faith in God is a neat little trick of the mind or as unbelievers say escapism or a crutch for people who can not face reality.

I personally found it a frieghtening thing to accept Christ and fought hard not to beleive and yet in the end I had no other choice for although God required so much from me I saw the truth in Christ and fell in love. Now I am amased at what I cannot imagine and have never thought of. For instance, I have just read about what goes on in some of the war zones of the world and the brutality is beyond me. I mean, I couldn't have ever imagined doing such things and it bothers me that men can.

With regard to lustful thoughts, I have been shocked to find that I have never had such thoughts for women I love. Hence, learn to love others more and such thoughts will become foriegn to you too. In the end, lust is not love and men should be shocked that they do not love. Lust is destructive but love builds up and strengthens, hence, he who does not love God, himself or others may well lust but the lack of love will be his down fall.

Another more shocking and more exciting prospect awaits you in imagining what hope and good there are for you in Christ. When this happens I can't sleep.

I could also suggest that having such thoughts in themself could also be indicative of as already mentioned, free will, but also the fact the you are real and not fooling yourself when it comes to your faith in Christ. After all an understanding of the wickedness of men does not make one evil. If anything, it would only make him more greatful for the difference Christ makes. Faith does not demand we, see no evil, or , hear no evil, for God himself sees it all the time in men. If anything the evil thoughts you have should spur you on to greater faith and love for Christ. In this sense, God would not have us ignorant of exactly what He is trying to save us from. Why can't we control our minds? Maybe God doesn't want us to! But the love of God can.



kung_fu_sed -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/10/2008 4:34:30 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: DLindros

I've made the choice to follow God's path. It's helped me out so much already, but I'm having issues. I find that my mind wanders to places I don't want it to go. I catch myself having thoughts that i DO NOT want. Everything from lust to blasphemy. I start wondering about Jesus. Wondering if the whole thing was a hoax. And it troubles me because I know i need to believe with all my heart in order to be saved. and as much as i want to believe, these thoughts creep up on me out of nowhere. I was just recently married, and i know it's my responibility to be the spiritual leader of my family. I'm afraid that I will let my wife down. What can I do to control my thoughts?



What you describe is EXACTLY what I have been going through lately. I want you to burn this DEEP into your mind. For your own sake, please do NOT give in to these thoughts.

Satan is trying to get you to jump off of a spiritual cliff. It may seem like everything will be fine because there is the ocean below. That's just a mirage, the only things that are down there at the bottom are sharp jagged rocks.

The thoughts you describe are obviously tactics from the evil one, as he's using the same strategy on me.

Remember if you make the jump, it was your fault. God never let you go, he never pushed you, you did it yourself. God will lovingly reach out his hand to you once more if you do fall. However, getting over the thought that you made the jump will be a burden to overcome.

Using fear to motivate someone is something I really dislike. However, if that's what I need to do to prevent spiritual suicide, so be it.



M.Magdalene -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/10/2008 4:56:28 PM)

We are all under attack! Good topic, I struggle with this all the time!!!

I think the fact that you are aware of your thoughts not being with God shows you desire God as long as you don't dwell in what is not good or not God since that will take you away from God - right? The Bible says to Php 4:8 - whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Recognizing what is not God and getting on the path of what is God... this is a means to an end in controlling our thoughts, which it sounds like you are doing. That is all God expects from us since we are not perfect and will always fall short, but we can try our best to be noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. All the things that are God.

Don't be too hard on yourself - you will never be perfect. Be around people who will encourage you and keep your focus. We will always be fighting.. I wonder if that's why there was so much fighting in the OT. Now in NT we are called to be spiritual warriors... hmmm

Fight hard then...



M.Magdalene -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/10/2008 5:06:10 PM)

Oh ya, another thing... whatever you think you will. Think about it. It's true.

If you think you can't control your thought - you won't. Right?

But you can.

You can have control.

Be positive. Be confident. God is on YOUR side, and He is truth. He is what is right.

Don't let the Devil fool you... he is pretty sneaky[;)]



Ephesians4_32 -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/10/2008 5:22:49 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: DLindros

I've made the choice to follow God's path. It's helped me out so much already, but I'm having issues. I find that my mind wanders to places I don't want it to go. I catch myself having thoughts that i DO NOT want. Everything from lust to blasphemy. I start wondering about Jesus. Wondering if the whole thing was a hoax. And it troubles me because I know i need to believe with all my heart in order to be saved. and as much as i want to believe, these thoughts creep up on me out of nowhere. I was just recently married, and i know it's my responibility to be the spiritual leader of my family. I'm afraid that I will let my wife down. What can I do to control my thoughts?


I suggest spending more time in the word and listening to Christian music. When your mind is on the right things, it's not on the wrong things. If Satan tempts you with evil thoughts, resist the devil and those thoughts. Have you ever deliberately changed a topic of conversation to avoid an argument? Memorize verses that are against those thoughts and go to the word in your mind.

Proverbs 23
7a For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

Matthew 5
28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

1 Peter 1
16Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

James 4
7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Everyone struggles but Christ will give us the victory in due time.



iamjc-s -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/11/2008 12:42:23 PM)

-
Pray, "I believe, help Thou my unbelief." & "Father please take control of my thoughts and bring them in line with You & Your will."

For as a plaque of mine says: "More things are wrought
by prayer than this world dreams of."
-



McFatty -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/11/2008 12:53:01 PM)

The way I see it, the ability to control one's thoughts isn't necessarily the ability to prevent such thoughts from popping into one's mind, but instead the ability to not allow those thoughts to overpower that which you believe and that to which you hold firm. When such thoughts enter your mind, ignore them or drive them out. It may not be simple at first, but as you practice, it should get easier, as with any other skill. That, my brother, will be control.



SavedByGraceMD -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/12/2008 12:27:38 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: McFatty

The way I see it, the ability to control one's thoughts isn't necessarily the ability to prevent such thoughts from popping into one's mind, but instead the ability to not allow those thoughts to overpower that which you believe and that to which you hold firm. When such thoughts enter your mind, ignore them or drive them out. It may not be simple at first, but as you practice, it should get easier, as with any other skill. That, my brother, will be control.

I agree with this. I said earlier that it is not possible to control our thoughts. What I meant to say is that we cannot control what thoughts pop into our heads, but we can control what we do with them, or if we let them in.
You need to remember that our mind is like a computer that is constantly running, so the unwanted thoughts are like pop up ads, and spam, and other junk we don't want on our computers, so we need to delete them, quarantine them or whatever else you may think of. We are constantly being attacked with bad thoughts, and we have the best ad-ware program known to man, Gods word, the Holy bible, so read up and install Gods anti-satan program in your mind, and over time you will notice a big difference. Take care and God bless.



cchris -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/13/2008 12:00:08 PM)

Hi Dlindros. I used to torment myself about the same thing, so I hope I can help you.

Some of the best advice I ever got has been to relax. You're only human and you're going to have bad thoughts and do bad things. I believe that Satan is trying to distress you into believing that being a Christian is just too hard or worse, that God himself is unjust and holds you to impossible standards.

But God isn't like that, he knows you the best of all and he's not going to make it impossible for you. Just hold on to that love you have for God and his creation and you will turn out ok.



iamjc-s -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/14/2008 12:50:25 PM)

quote:

why can't i control my thoughts?

Humans of themselves are not strong enough, it must be the Holy Spirit in inside us controling/sifening/sifting them with our consent.
-



visus -> RE: why can't i control my thoughts? (5/14/2008 6:42:51 PM)

The way of control what thoughts you might have is to control what enters your mind through the senses.

one example is television and radio. You would realized it is very difficult to watch any t.v. shown without some form of sexual relation occuring

When this occurs when i'm watching t.v i tend to look away. If i'm watching alone i would mute the huum songs as well.

Trust me this helps a lot.



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